Review: The Pain Eater

The Pain Eater by Beth Goobie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maddy is gang raped after a play in March and her life spirals downward. When she has to be in class with two of the boys who were there, she almost cannot cope. She is threatened so she won't tell ans in fear most of the time. A class story in English, where everyone writes a chapter even turns into a form of bullying for Maddy, as it tells the story of Farang, the pain eater. But she finds the strength through her art to finally get help.

Things I liked--Maddy's parents weren't clueless idiots; they noticed that their daughter wasn't the same girl she'd been. After a while in class Maddy makes a friend who sticks up for her a bit, or at least covers for her.

Things I didn't like--Maddy's parents didn't insist on getting her help, I fell like they let her parent herself. It worked out, but for many it wouldn't. The English teacher's sometimes obliviousness to her students behavior in the classroom.

I wish we could give half stars, because I'd give this one 3.5.

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